Apple Airport Extreme Vs Netgear N600 – A Battle of the Two Routers

Routers come effective when you need to connect different network architectures like the Ethernet and the Token ring, and will also use dynamic routing to select the best path across an internetwork.

Most router users complain of wireless signals, while others tend to offer limited speeds if there are too many devices connected to the network. So the best advice that we give to most of our clients is to either reduce the number of connected devices or minimize the use of bandwidth-intensive applications because at times it compromises the speeds delivered to the devices that are running the low bandwidth applications.

The positioning of your router will also determine the connectivity range and speeds, therefore, placing it close to electronic devices or thick walls will affect its performance. However, if you have observed all the above and are still no getting reliable Wi-Fi connectivity then you might have to invest in a router that has been equipped with the latest technology to help enhance speed such as the QoS or the device optimization feature.

We will, therefore, review the Apple Airport Extreme and the Netgear N600 to determine the one that is the most reliable in networking.

What are the differences between Apple Airport Extreme and the Netgear N600?

Model	Apple Airport Extreme (Winner)	Netgear N600
Speeds	Wireless bandwidth 450mbps and 1 Gbps over Ethernet	300mbps Upload speeds 300mbps download speeds
Data transfer rate	1.3GB per second WAN to LAN $ LAN to WAN is 430mbps	1GB per second
Wireless communicaton standard	802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac	802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11n,
Product Dimensions	3.85 x 3.85 x 6.6 inches	6.02 x 8.78 x 1.22 inches
	Check Price Here	Check Price Here

Apple Airport Extreme vs Netgear N600- How do they compare?

Speed

The Apple airport extreme base station offers very fast speeds over Ethernet at 1Gbps; remember that Ethernet connects computers in a LAN, and with this type of connection users are bound to experience a more stable connection and an increase in speeds. Additionally, Ethernet obliterates cases of Wi-Fi interferences, and the constant signal drops that user’s with the wireless connection experience.

For the wireless bandwidth, you have been provided with up to 450mbps, which is perfect for HD streaming and online gaming. The Netgear N600 on the other hand, offers its users 300mbps upload and download speeds thus a good router for both home and business use, however, the speeds provided by the Apple Airport Extreme are quite high and given that it is a true dual-band router, it has been configured to offer coverage to both the 2.4 and 5GHz frequency bands simultaneously.

In essence is that the Apple Airport Extreme supports all the existing Wi-Fi clients without caring so much about their Wi-Fi standards, and still offers the highest speeds.

Apple Airport extreme is the better router because it offers high networking speeds, at 1Gbps over Ethernet.

Performance  

Currently, the IEEE 802.11af and the IEEE 802.11ah are what people are on the lookout for, as it offers solutions to their connectivity issues, the reason being that they use the previously licensed spectrum and will rarely interfere with the traditional Wi-Fi signals in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. However, from the information above none of these routers is equipped with the latest standards but the Apple Airport Extreme does use the New Generation 802.11ac.

Apple base station’s performance is quite high when compared to the Netgear N600 given that the 802.11ac is a supercharged version of the previous 802.11n. The Next Generation standard (802.11ac) is fast in terms of speeds and can deliver speeds that range from 433mbps to several gigabits per second. Netgear N600 has not incorporated the new wireless communication standard but that doesn’t mean that it is less effective, the unit performs well speed wise as it offers a data transfer rate of 1 GB per second.

Design

Deploying the Netgear N600 should not be a headache because of its flat like design and an informative front panel that has incorporated the indicative led lights complete with a WPS push to connect button. Well, the same cannot be said for the Apple Airport Extreme which has a tower-like structure meaning that you have to put it where there is enough space to enable easy transmission of the internet signals.

Netgear N600 is the better router as regards installation because of its flat like design.

The Apple Airport Extreme vs. the Netgear N600- A Comparison Overview

Apple Airport Extreme Overview

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The Apple Airport Extreme base station is the perfect unit for home, school or office use, the unit features a design that can complete any home or office décor, it offers high data transfer rates and is equipped with the latest wireless communication standard. The base station, therefore, offers comprehensive networking solutions in a fairly priced and easy to use package.

To set up the Apple Airport Extreme base station, you will have to get access to a Wi-Fi enabled MAC computer that has been connected to the base station with an Ethernet cable, you will then use the software update to get the latest version of OS X and Airport utility. You can also set up the unit using an IOS device, you will, therefore, need an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, or the IOS 6.1 or later.

Pros

• Offers the high-speed Next Generation Wi-Fi technology
• Has an attractive design complete with an Apple Logo at the top
• Offers users high data transfer rates
• Set up and installation is easy and fast on different devices

Cons

• Users complain of slow hard drives
• The 5 GHz connection at times can rarely stream videos

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Netgear N600 Overview

The Netgear n600 is equipped with the best in class security applications, which are the WPA/WPA2 and the WEP. Set up and management of the router is easy via the intuitive Netgear Genie application, also the incorporated simultaneous dual-band doubles the bandwidth, which consequently reduces the Wi-Fi interference thus can be adopted for large home layouts and can also connect many devices.

And just like the Apple Airport Extreme, the N600 is compatible with Mac and PCs and supports windows 8.

Pros  

• The router is ideal for the bandwidth-intensive applications
• Offers high data transfer rate at 1Gbps
• Equipped with advanced security protection
• Set up and installation is easy via the Netgear Genie application

Cons

• Not convenient for long term use
• The router drops the Wi-Fi signals

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Conclusion

The Airport extreme is a higher performer when compared to the Netgear N600 which then means that it will enable productivity in a busy environment. However, the same cannot be said about its cousin the Airport express as its performance is a bit low to even match up to the Netgear N600.

Verdict; so which is the better router? The Apple Airport Extreme, or the Netgear N600

The Apple Airport Extreme is the better router because it features the latest wireless communication standard that offers faster networking speeds, the data transfer rate is at 1.3GB per second and as a plus the router will furnish you with a wireless bandwidth of 450mbps and 1Gbps over Ethernet. The latter, enables the computing networks to enhance the networks input and output performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you connect the Apple Airport extreme to another router?

Yes, you can connect the Apple Airport extreme to another router using the Ethernet cable from the ISP router to the base station. However, it is a must that you use the wireless ISP router then you will have to set up new connections for each of the devices that join the connection using wireless.

2. Do I need to use a modem with the Netgear N600?

You can get a modem from your internet service provider and yes you do need a modem to use with Netgear N600 dual-core.